Reading convoluted ingredient and byproduct lists can often be confusing—and a little disconcerting. Magnesium stearate is a common additive that functions as a lubricant in different foods and medicines, but what is it, and is it vegan?
Magnesium stearate is a salt composed of magnesium, an essential mineral, and stearate, a long-chain saturated fat. It is widely used in foods, medical tablets, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. While it can be vegan, stearic acid is typically animal-derived.
As a vegan, carefully reading the ingredients and byproducts is important so that you know exactly what’s going into your body. In this article, we’ll explore what magnesium stearate is, how it’s used, and whether it’s vegan-certified safe.
What Is Magnesium Stearate?
Magnesium stearate is, as you might assume, derived from magnesium and stearate. Magnesium is an essential mineral that is responsible for many vital processes in the body, helping to regulate muscle and nerve function, as well as aiding in the production of protein, bone, and DNA.
Stearate is derived from stearic acid, which is a saturated fat that occurs naturally in both plant and animal products like the following:
- Chicken
- Beef
- Salmon
- Eggs
- Milk and dairy
- Coconut oil
- Palm oil
Magnesium stearate is the powder that coats many medications and vitamins, and it rubs off quite easily on your fingers.
What Does Magnesium Stearate Do?
Colloquially, companies refer to magnesium stearate as a flow agent, which refers to its function of preventing capsule ingredients from sticking together.
Prevents Sticking
One essential function of magnesium stearate is to prevent the ingredients in a medicine capsule from lumping together. It also helpful in the production process. Magnesium stearate forms a barrier between the machines that compress the medicine into powder and the medication itself, helping improve the quality of the capsules produced.
Magnesium stearate is also useful in the cosmetic world, where it is used as an anti-caking agent, bulking agent, and colorant, among other things.
Slows Down Absorption
Magnesium stearate slows down the absorption and breakdown of drugs, allowing the body to slowly absorb it into the bloodstream. This is helpful for some medications, where the targeted drug needs to reach a certain area of the digestive system to be most effective; in practice, this flow agent helps ensure that medicines are consistent in their application.
Is Magnesium Stearate Safe?
Magnesium stearate is considered safe to consume by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but too much can be problematic.
The FDA deems it safe at amounts below 2,500 milligrams per kilogram per day. Consuming medications at a recommended dose will almost certainly not contain enough magnesium stearate to be harmful.
Laxative Properties
In large quantities, magnesium stearate can have a laxative effect and irritate the mucous lining of the bowels.
Weakened Immune Function
Some research suggests that magnesium stearate can weaken immune T-cell function, although further research is needed before a connection can be drawn.
T-cells are a type of white blood cell and a vital part of the immune system.
Allergies
In rare cases, people may be allergic to magnesium stearate. If you react to a medication, your doctor may test to see if you are allergic to this coating.
Potential Pesticides
Stearate can be derived from cottonseed oil, which is genetically modified and may be produced with the use of pesticides.
Still, the chemical structure of the stearate is the same regardless of how it is produced, and the stearate goes through an intense purification process before it is used.
Is Magnesium Stearate Vegan?
Magnesium stearate is sometimes vegan but is more often derived from non-vegan sources. The magnesium is never the issue; the stearate determines whether the product is vegan or not.
As mentioned, it occurs naturally in eggs, dairy, salmon, chicken, and beef. If the stearate is derived from naturally occurring stearic acid in these animal sources, the vitamin, cosmetic product, processed food, etc. is not vegan.
You can check the label of supplements for “magnesium stearate (vegetable source)” to indicate that the product is not derived from animals.
Of course, just because magnesium stearate is sourced from vegetables does not mean that it is completely vegan. Another potential concern is processing.
Magnesium stearate can be processed on equipment that also processes vitamins, medications, cosmetics, or foods that contain animal products.
As such, your best bet is to check for a Vegan Certified label on the product or to contact the manufacturer directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Vegetable sources of stearic acid, which is used to produce magnesium stearate, include oils such as palm oil and coconut oil. These plant-based oils contain naturally occurring stearic acid, which can be extracted and combined with magnesium to create magnesium stearate.
The source of stearic acid, which combines with magnesium to form magnesium stearate, can be either animal or plant-based. However, it’s often more cost-effective for manufacturers to derive stearic acid from animal sources, making animal-based magnesium stearate more common. However, this can vary depending on the specific product or the policies of the manufacturing company.
The FDA considers magnesium stearate safe for consumption in amounts below 2,500 milligrams per kilogram per day. Therefore, unless you’re consuming medications beyond their recommended dosage, you’re very unlikely to ingest enough magnesium stearate to be harmful.
Yes, although rare, some people may have an allergic reaction to magnesium stearate. If you have a reaction after taking a medication, you may want to consult your doctor, who can run tests to see if you’re allergic to this coating. Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include itching, redness, swelling, difficulty breathing, or other symptoms typically associated with allergies.
Conclusion
Magnesium stearate is a helpful and safe flow agent that helps medications, cosmetics, and supplements work as intended by preventing the ingredients from sticking and slowing the absorption rate. It is considered safe for consumption in low amounts.
Unfortunately, as stearate is often derived from animals, magnesium stearate poses a red flag for people like us on a vegan diet.
